Parachute
by TheDarkFlygon
Summary: [Residence AU, pre-relationship Iotsumu] Summer may be a pleasant time at the residence, it doesn't prevent some minor accidents from happening. It includes falling from a roof height and breaking your arm in an unexpectedly intense afternoon when it comes to death risk.


It was peaceful Saturday afternoon in summer with nothing in particular: no conflict was currently going on between the different inhabitants of the Takanashi Residence for its first summer. It was even surprising: one would think the increase in temperature would have cause conflict over the use of cold water among the residents.

In a way, it had already happened: the owner's daughter, who lived with them all, had had to settle fights amongst the two biggest consumers of water. It was already a month ago, sure, but it had spread chaos and discord in the corridors and into the rooms.

Summer weather meant that they were more likely to spend time outside too. Iori, as a fellow Takanashi Resident, was no exception to the rule: there was something pleasing about studying outside, despite the occasional ruckus the others caused. He would usually take part in some of the activities, mostly involving collective sports, when the calm needed to look at statistics had given stead to excited yells and sore losers.

As he walked around the property, enjoying that most of the residents had gone out together to what seemed to mostly be shopping, his eye spotted the ball Yotsuba had stuck on the roof after a basketball game on the day before. Nobody had retrieved yet, considering they had a couple spare balls in case that happened, but one day someone would have to get it back, right?

That was when he also spotted whom they called the "manager": Tsumugi Takanashi, the daughter of the residence's owner. She wasn't officially a "manager" per say, barely a first-year college student like him at the local college in a management course, but she was directly involved with managing the residence from the inside. It was more of an affectionate nickname, even if most of them had ended up calling her by her first name and sometimes use "Manager" as an honorific title.

Iori was the only one who didn't refer to her as "Tsumugi". In fact, he'd rather refer to everyone by their surnames: it was politer, less risky, and that way he could tease Nanase about it by saying "maybe one day I'll call you with your first name". Sometimes, he'd refer to her as "manager", albeit solely when he was helping her with management.

It was no secret to anyone that they were two to pilot this ship, ever since Nanase had spotted one of their at-the-time-secret meetings and spread the news to all the residence, both excited and almost envious he wasn't a part of it. He felt like his help was less and less necessary, Takanashi clearly showing she knew what she was doing now. He still enjoyed giving a hand or two when necessary and give suggestions, but it wasn't as active as it used to be.

He had to admit, he enjoyed being in her company. She usually had bashful reactions to most things around her, apologizing for a yes or for a no, always genuinely concerned for everyone… She was a friend to everyone and everything living. (He could barely deny how content he was with his privileged position as his managing help). He had a compelling need to help her, in fact: seeing someone do their best like this was adorable and it just made him want to put his talents at her service.

As it stood, Takanashi was currently on top of a ladder, trying to grab the ball Yotsuba had managed to stick there. Her arms seemed to barely be able to reach it, causing her to be… less than careful about her balance on the top of the ladder.

The bad feeling coursing down his body only told him he needed to act before something bad would happen to her. He had to help yet be careful enough so she wouldn't be surprised and slip of from there. On the other hand, he couldn't be cautious enough: he'd stand near her so he'd be able to catch her in her fall in case her feet slipped anyway.

"Takanashi," he called out for her in the least aggressive tone he could take.

She seemed a bit surprised, almost head jumping instead of her entire body, hands leaning on the roof as a way to keep her balance. She then glanced at him, eyes smiling as she did so.

"Oh, Iori! What brings you here?"

"I was just profiting from the nice weather. I've simply stopped back to tell you to be careful. We don't need to have someone injured around here. It'd ruin the mood."

"Is this your way of expressing concern towards me, Iori?" she asked back, slipping a mischievous smile in her reply.

"I-if you want to see it that way…" He looked away, then cleared his throat to regain his composure. "My point stands. Don't injure yourself when trying to fix Yotsuba's fooling around."

"Will do!"

Takanashi turned to face the ball again, feet barely connected to the ladder, arms stretching to reach the item. The unsafety of everything made Iori stick around, eyes watching over the situation so it wouldn't turn into a catastrophe. Considering she was trying to recover something from a few meters high, she could seriously injure herself, maybe die would the wrong part of her body hit the ground. His presence felt needed.

As she caught the ball with her hands, she glanced at him again, her signature smile shining brightly on her face. She'd be the death of him, wouldn't she? A constant ride of emotions, ranging from a will to help to concern over how careless she could get.

"Iori, catch the ball!" she yelled at him, throwing it as she did so.

He didn't have trouble catching it, allowing him to reply with words too.

"Takanashi, be careful! You're close to fa…"

The words stopped right in Iori's throat, suddenly strangled by seeing the ladder get pushed by her foot and falling to the ground, its user with it.

Not even thinking twice about it, he rushed to her most plausible place to fall. His guess was, fortunately, right. Adrenaline rushing, his arms acted before his brain for one of the sole times in his life. Before he knew it, she had fallen into her arms and they had slammed into the ground, the ladder accompanying them in a loud thud.

The sudden and rushed character of these events made it so his eyes had squeezed shut, vision blacking out for a few moments. Pain obviously washed over the parts of him that had met the ground: his back, back of his legs and his right arm. His left arm had been spared by the way he had twirled when trying to catch her, changing his orientation so his right side would meet the ground more directly than the left one. Once the small dizziness of the fall had vanished, he opened his eyes again to meet with a predictably concerned Takanashi.

She was fretting all over, sitting across him, hands fiddling and arms flailing in panic. Seeing her so worried shouldn't have rung a "she's cute" bell to him in such a moment, yet it did anyway.

"Iori, I'm so, so sorry!" She screamed as she moved to his side. "Are you okay?!"

"I told you to be careful, Takanashi. You were reckless on this one. I'll be fine as long as you don't worry me that much again."

There was a numb pain on his right side, the one thing preventing him from saying he was entirely all right. Better not make her worry even more, despite the potential teasing.

"I'm very sorry for making you worry, Iori! I should have paid more attention…" Her little frown made way for a signature, assured smile. "I'll make sure to do so next time!"

Urgh, yeah, that had slept out of his mind. For the number of times he got concerned for her and where the other members had spilled the beans for him, it was just another instance of it.

"It's fine. The most important is that you didn't get hurt. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to resu…"

As soon as he tried to get up on his arms, Iori felt a wave of pain unlike most of what he had seen before, almost dropping himself to the ground again. That was bad, really bad, but there was no way he could hide such a strong pain. It had a vague feeling of familiarity, but it still was unexpectedly painful.

Takanashi seemed to have noticed his struggle to get up immediately, rushing her arms under his to make sure he didn't fall back too harshly. Concern dwelled in her eyes, her small smile from her confident promise fading back into a frown. He'd have preferred seeing the first, to be frank.

"Are you hurt?!" she asked, almost as if the surprise had numbed her actual wording skills into asking an obvious question.

"I seem to have injured my right arm in our fall… It's nothing life-threatening, but hurtful nonetheless."

She silently rose to her feet, expression almost blank, before she faced him with a hand towards him. Not a word needed: he grabbed it and helped himself to his feet. Refusing such help would be being ungrateful.

Without thinking much about it, he had started holding his right arm with the elbow in his left hand. It was a familiar pain from more than a decade ago, that one time he had told her about on one stressful evening where he had had to handle one of Nanase's worst attacks to that day, yet had been powerless in putting it to a stop when help arrived.

It was embarrassing to think back to it, honestly, but that was what this arm situation was reminding him of. He'd have shaken his head if he wasn't in front of her.

"It seems to hurt a lot, no? I'll go grab the first-aid kit, I'll be back soon," she told him as she rushed inside.

He could easily tell Takanashi's mind was in a turmoil. She obviously felt guilty for what had happened, putting what was probably a bone fracture again entirely on her shoulders. He couldn't say it hadn't been her fault: if she had been more careful to the ladder and her balance, that wouldn't have happened. On the other hand, blaming herself that way wouldn't make what he was now convinced was an injury heal on the spot.

Before he knew it, she had come back and made a kind of makeshift sling for his arm. It didn(t prevent him from retaining grunts of pain in, but it was better than nothing.

"Thank you, Takanashi," he told her as she finished it.

"It's the least I can do… Do you think you'll need to get to the hospital?"

"We're never too sure about this kind of injuries. It's best if I get this checked out. I can get there by myself just fine, though."

Takanashi stared at him, eyes determined.

"Let me to do that for you! It'll be quicker!"

Seeing her so motivated to drive him there was endearing to watch. How could he say no?

"Fine. I'll be ready whenever you are."

It had taken quite the long span of time, but they were finally riding back home, or so he had thought. The car wasn't heading in the right direction, but before he could ask about it, Takanashi had opened the conversation.

"You were right, Iori, it was a fracture. I'm really sorry for this, but… thank you for saving me."

"I've told you before, it's alright. My arm is nothing compared to what could have happened to you from this height. It's just going to be…" He stared at the ugly cast. "…unpractical for a while."

"If you need help, don't hesitate to ask us all, okay? I'm certain everybody will agree to give you a helping hand!"

"It's likely, considering who we live with."

The road was eerily familiar now.

"Why are we going to the supermarket?" He asked, his earlier doubts being confirmed.

"It was your turn to buy the groceries, right? You can't do that with only one arm! I'll help you!"

She quickly winked at him, triggering a familiar blush on his face.

"Understandable. I can't refuse this help, can't I?"

"I'm glad you're accepting it face on. Let's get these groceries together, okay? It'll be quicker that way anyway!"

He couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.

"Let's do so."


End file.
